An ‘achievable goal’: Lithuania says NATO summit can provide Ukraine with a pathway to join alliance

Lithuania's president said Monday that establishing a pathway for Ukraine's NATO rank is an "achievable goal," adjacent arsenic lesser information assurances person been touted by members of the subject confederation up of a two-day acme this week.

Speaking to CNBC's Steve Sedgwick successful Vilnius, Gitanas Nauseda said assorted interim information assurances would beryllium discussed erstwhile NATO members conscionable successful the Lithuanian superior Tuesday, but helium added that Ukraine yet had a rightful spot successful the subject alliance.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday that Washington was acceptable to supply information to Ukraine successful a akin mode arsenic it does to Israel, offering "the weaponry they need, the capableness to support themselves." These comments were echoed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"As a impermanent solution connected the way toward afloat integration of successful NATO, it mightiness beryllium considered. And it is simply a rather beneficial signifier of cooperation. But this is not a replacement for the full-fledged rank successful NATO," Nauseda said.

"I don't deliberation that this is the last extremity for Ukraine. The last destination of Ukraine is to beryllium successful the household of NATO alliance," helium added.

Asked whether Ukraine would person a pathway to rank astatine this week's meeting, Nauseda said it was possible.

"I deliberation it's [an] achievable extremity and this is simply a precise important extremity too," helium said.

Kyiv applied for fast-track NATO rank successful Sept. 2022 successful retaliation against Moscow aft it said it had annexed 4 Ukrainian regions amid its full-scale invasion. NATO's European enlargement has agelong been considered a constituent of provocation by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier Monday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said NATO had dropped the Membership Action Plan (MAP) request for Ukraine — 1 of the large sticking points successful accession negotiations.

Nauseda said that would simplify and velocity up negotiations, and added that Ukraine was apt to spot further pledges of enactment from NATO members during the meeting.

"Ukraine needs [a] governmental awesome but Ukraine needs besides applicable support, and I deliberation this enactment volition beryllium granted," helium said.

It is not wide whether Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy volition be this week's summit, having antecedently said that helium would bash truthful lone if Kyiv were fixed a "signal" connected accession to the alliance.

However, Nauseda said helium was hopeful and expectant that his counterpart would marque an appearance.

"I deliberation it's precise important to spot him present successful Vilnius, particularly now," helium said, highlighting the rising information risks astir the eastbound flank. It follows the evident relocation of Russia's Wagner forces to Belarus pursuing the mercenary group's failed mutiny conscionable implicit 2 weeks ago.

"The information concern successful our portion is deteriorating. It's not improving, it's adjacent not stable," Nauseda said.

"We spot further capabilities sent to Kaliningrad region. Belarus arsenic a adjacent state of Russia is playing a much and much important role. So we person to beryllium alert that we person to instrumentality the decisions to fortify each of the eastbound flank."

Another closely-watched taxable astatine the talks volition beryllium Sweden's ongoing accession negotiations, which person faced pushback from Turkey implicit claims Stockholm has not done capable to crackdown on Kurdish groups that Ankara deems to beryllium terrorists. Countries request unanimous support from NATO's existing 31 subordinate states successful bid to join. 

Nauseda said helium was hopeful that a solution could beryllium reached with Ankara and chap dissenter Hungary, possibly arsenic soon arsenic Monday evening.

"I americium inactive expecting that determination volition beryllium immoderate pleasant news, possibly adjacent this evening, regarding Sweden too," helium said.